William bell



(No Model.)

W. BELL 85 A. B. LIPSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS.

Patented Ju1y 12,-1881.

r. waimn lm u a UNITED STATEs PATENT GFFICE.

WILLIAM BELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ANDREW B. LIPSEY, OF \VESTHOBOKEN, N. J SAID LIPSEY ASSIGNOR TO SAID BELL.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,173, dated July 12,1881.

- Application filed February 1, 1881. (No model.)

tion.

Our invention relates to the method of malting gas by the distillationof wood and the subsequent addition to the gaseous products ofdistillation of hydrocarbon liquid, if necessary, to enrich the gas.

Our invention consists in the combination of a retort containingsteam-superheating pipes immersed in molten metal, a second retort containing a longitudinal perforated partitionplate, upon one side of orabove which wood may be distilled, a pipe for conducting superheatedsteam from said superheating-pipes to said second retort upon the otherside of or below said perforated plate, and a pipe for conducting theproducts of distillation and the gases resulting from the decompositionof steam from said second retort to the retort containing molten metal.

In the operation of our apparatus the wood is first distilled, and thensuperheated steam is passed through the residual charcoal, and therebydecomposed, and the wood-gases and the gases produced by thedecomposition of steam are finally mixed in the retort containing moltenmetal.

Two pairs of the above-described retorts may be employed, and inconnection therewith a fifth retort, also containing molten metal, andinto which the fixed gas is conducted from the two retorts containingmolten metal and superheating-pipes, and has combined with it a properquantity of vaporized hydrocarbon for enriching it.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure lrepresents a front elevation of abench of retorts for making gasin accordance with our improvements. Fig.2 represents a transverse vertical section of such retorts and Fig. 3represents a longitudinal section upon the dotted line a m, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference designate corre- 5o spending parts in allthe figures.

A A designate two retorts, each having the principal portion of itsbottom depressed or recessed, as shown clearly in Fig. 8, so as toreceive and retain molten metal a, such as lead, copper, tin, zinc, 85c.Immersed in the molten metal are pipes I), through which steam maycirculate and be superheated by the heat of the molten metal a. Y

Below the retorts A are arranged two other retorts, B, and between thepairs of retorts A B is arranged a fifth retort, C, as clearly shown inFig. 2. The retorts A B O are all set in brick-work, and are heated by afurnace, of which 0 is the grate, and from the furnace the 6 5 productsof combustion are made to pass longitudinally back and forth throughflues d, and finally escape through a chimney, E.

The retorts B are each provided with alongitudinal perforatedpartition-plate, d, extend- 7o ing from end to end thereof, and upon oron one side of this partition-plate is placed a sufficient quantity ofwood to fill the retort. The retort being highly heated, alLthe volatileproducts of the wood are driven off in the form of 7 5 gas and pass fromthe retort at the rear end through a pipe, 0, into a valve-box, F, fromwhich the gaseous products of distillation pass through a pipe,f, intoone of the retorts A, above the molten metal a contained therein.

Each retort B is connected with a separate valve-box, F, and in each boxis arranged a cup-shaped valve, 9, of a size to fit over the end of thepipe f, and containing molten metal, so as to tightly seal the pipe fand prevent the flow of gas through it. The valve 9 is connected by arod, h, with one end of a lever, h, by which the valve may be raised toclose the pipe f, and the lever may be held by any suitable catch toretain the valve closed. Steam 0 is supplied to the superheating-pipesbin each retort A by a pipe, t, and after being superheated passesthrough a pipe, j, and enters one of the retorts B at the front andbelow the perforated partition-plate d, or on the other 5 side thereoffrom the wood, and such steam passes up through the perforations in theplate and passes through the residual charcoal,

whereby it is highly heated and decomposed, and at the same time takesup all or a large part of the carbon contained in the charcoal. Afterpassing from the front of the retort B to the rear thereof, the gaseswhich result from the decomposition of the superheated steam passthrough the pipes e and f into the back of the retort A, wherein theyare mingled with the gaseous products of distillation and a fixed gasproduced. From the front of the retorts A the gas passes through pipes kand a common pipe, Z, to the front of the retort C, which containsmolten metal a, the same as the retorts A, except that it does notcontain heating-pipes. In the retort O the gas is mingled with more orless hydrocarbon vapor, if any is necessary, to enrich it and make itsuitable for illuminating purposes. The hydrocarbon vapor is producedfrom hydrocarbon liquid, which is introduced into the retort 0 through apipe, m, and is converted into Vapor by the heat of the retort. Suchliquid as is not at once converted into vapor will be converted when itfalls upon the molten metal a. If necessary, the hydrocarbon liquid maybe introduced into the retort G by an injector. The completed gas issuesfrom the retort 0 through a pipe, at, and thence passes through awasher, G, from which it is conducted through a pipe, 0, to thegas-holder.

The two retorts B are intended to be charged with wood alternately, andwhile the distillation of the wood in one retort is taking place thesuperheated steam is passed through the otherretort and the residualcharcoal deprived of its carbon.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of a retort containing steam-superheating pipesimmersed in molten metal, a second retort containing a longitudinalperforated partition-plate, upon one side of or above which wood may bedistilled, a pipe for conducting superheated steam from saidsuperheating-pipes to said second retort upon the other side of orbelowsaid perforated plate, and a pipe for eonductin g the products ofdistillation and the gases resulting from the decomposition of steamfrom said second retort to the retort containing molten metal,substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the retorts A A, containing' molten metal a, andsuperheatingpipes b immersed therein, the retorts B, adapted to receivewood, the retort 0, containing molten metal, pipes foreonductin gsuperheated steam from said superheating-pipes b to the retorts B, pipesfor eonduetin g the products of distillation and gases resulting fromthe decomposition of steam from the retorts B to the retortsA,valves gfor closing the pipes f, pipes for conduetin g gas from the retorts A tothe retort O, and a pipe for introducing hydrocarbon liquid into theretort (3, all substantially as specified.

WM. BELL. ANDREW B. LIPSEY.

Witnesses:

T. J. KEANE,

FREDK. HAYNES.

